EPISODE · Aug 24, 2026 · 22 MIN
The Grit Is the Fuel: Lorenzo Gesaldi's Path from "Not Good Enough" to Ultramarathon Pro, Lorenzo Gesaldi, Ep. 555
from Take it from the Ironwoman · host Lorenzo Gesaldi, Susanne Mueller
Lorenzo: 🏃♂️ I was the opposite of the Corporate Ultra Runner. 👦 At 10, they told me not to run because I was asthmatic. 🏊♂️ At 14, they told me to quit swimming because I wasn’t good enough at school or in the pool. 🎓 At 18, I became the first in my family with a high school diploma. 🎓 At 21, the first in my family with a university degree. 🤝 At 23, I ended up shaking the hand of Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe when my corporate career started at Adidas Global HQ. 💡 That’s when I realized something had changed after 10 years of hard work. 💪 That’s also when I realized I had to take back my health and learn how to master being an excellent professional while staying in shape. 🔥 I was an underdog. The way wasn’t easy, neither at work nor in sport. I was starving but I had grit. 🏋️ Staying in shape wasn’t enough. While working, I started doing IRONMAN races, and when the 🏊♂️ swimming pool wasn’t available, I discovered 🏔️ Ultramarathons. 💼 My work became mind training 🧠 and Ultra running🦵became body training (and more). 🤝 If you are a normal human like me, you can also be an Ultra runner. ⚡ You will gain that super power you are still looking for. Follow his ultra marathon journey on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzo-gesaldi-62a44597/ ***********Finalist "Women in Cloud - Podcast of the YEAR" - #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2026Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc?Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 800+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
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What this episode covers
Lorenzo Gesaldi spent his childhood being told what he couldn't do 🚫 — too asthmatic to run, not good enough to swim — and turned every "no" into fuel 🔥 for a life built on grit. From Italy to Switzerland to Portugal to France, he followed instinct and lucky breaks 🍔 (a Burger King leadership program, a chance Ironman tip from a colleague) into a career at Tiffany & Co. and an unexpected love for ultrarunning 🏃♂️. His biggest test came at La Diagonale des Fous on Réunion Island 🌋 — a brutal 225km, 40,000m race through jungle, volcanic moonscape, and freezing mountain nights 🌙, where he finished 9th, slept just 15 minutes in the second night, and pushed through the darkest dip of the race rather than quit. Lorenzo's hard-won wisdom for anyone chasing a big goal: move slowly 🐢, be patient ⏳, and accept that failure is simply part of the path to finishing strong 💪.
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The Grit Is the Fuel: Lorenzo Gesaldi's Path from "Not Good Enough" to Ultramarathon Pro, Lorenzo Gesaldi, Ep. 555
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